Freeman Norvell served as a 2nd lieutenant in the Mexican War, with Co. A, Marine Battalion in 1847. He was breveted 1st Lieutenant for storming of Chapultepec and capture of Mexico City, and appointed Adjutant, Nov 1, 1847. He was with the Army in Mexico in 1848. The U.S. Marines had no regimental organization, and consisted of 1283 privates, doubled on 2 March 1847 to 2293, with 12 commanding officers, one of which was Freeman Norvell. A battalion of this force marched to Puebla with Franklin Pierce's troops in July and joined Quitman's division, seeing action at Chapultepec, and were among the first to enter the Belén gate. They formed the guard at the Palacio Nacional on the plaza, the "Halls of Montezuma."

Freeman later served as a Colonel in the 5th Michigan Cavalry in the Civil War, as did his brothers Dallas Norvell, John Mason Norvell, Alfred C. Norvell, Edwin Forrest Norvell, and Stephens Thompson Norvell.

Freeman married Mary Dean Redfield (born November 26, 1842 in Cassopolis, Michigan -died December 14, 1918 in South Wales, New York) on September 9, 1862 in a ceremony conducted by the Reverend Benjamin H. Paddock, Rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Detroit. They had met while Freeman served as Secretary to her father Colonel Alexander Hamilton Redfield in the Western Territories.

Freeman died in Detroit on May 13, 1881 of pneumonia. His obituary appeared in the Detroit Free Press on May 14:

There died yesterday, at his home in this city Col Freeman Norvell, one of the best known of our citizens. Col Norvell was an able and an honest man. He was devoted to the public service, a patriot whose intellect, voice, and arm were over at his country's call. The subterfuges of the politician had no attraction for him; the welfare of the people, law, order, good government the utmost purity in the administration of public affairs, the fullest liberty of the citizen for these he labored with energy and unselfish devotion. He sought for himself nothing but that freedom with the political history of the nation a man of broad views and strong convictions, firm in his opinions. . . .

He is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in the family plot of his father in law, Alexander Hamilton Redfield.